As India gears up for the third T20I against the Proteas on Sunday in the chilly conditions of sub-10°C Dharamsala, set against the snow-capped Dhauladhar range, pressure is building within the Indian camp. Captain Suryakumar Yadav is under scrutiny for his prolonged slump in form, and his deputy Gill, who took the place of a steady Sanju Samson in the XI, has struggled to make a persuasive case for himself.
South Africa’s pace-heavy lineup — featuring Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, Ottniel Baartman, and Lutho Sipamla — has effectively showcased how to leverage Indian conditions. The HPCA Stadium pitch, known for its extra bounce and movement, is expected to further amplify their advantages.
On paper, South Africa ranks among the most well-balanced T20 teams visiting India recently. The return of Quinton de Kock, along with the dynamic presence of Aiden Markram, Dewald Brevis, Donovan Ferreira, David Miller, and Jansen’s all-round abilities, provides the visitors a significant edge as the World Cup approaches.
With only eight games left, starting from the third T20I, before the T20 World Cup title defense, India’s beleaguered head coach Gautam Gambhir cannot afford to have two out-of-form top-order batsmen in the starting lineup.
As the captain, Surya will likely enjoy some immunity heading into the T20 World Cup despite being out of form for the past year, but the same cannot be said for Gill, who was not initially selected as an opener.
Gill’s inclusion in the T20 setup exemplifies a classic case of trying to fix something that isn’t broken, and so far, things haven’t looked promising.
In this context, Gill must elevate his performance to prove that the Ajit Agarkar-led committee was incorrect in sidelining Samson for one poor series against England.
The polished Indian Test and ODI skipper needs to find his T20 form and score in at least two of the three matches to prevent Samson from reclaiming his rightful position, or even to keep Yashasvi Jaiswal, boasting a remarkable T20I strike rate of 165, from stepping in during the series against New Zealand.
Lack of clarity
While head coach Gambhir may be too proud to admit it, sending Axar Patel in as a one-drop batter during the second T20I was a “tactical oversight” from the team’s strategists.
This type of miscalculation with Axar’s promotion is unlikely to recur in the third match where the skipper is expected to revert to No.3, a position where he has found considerable success in his initial years at the international level.
Similarly, sending Shivam Dube in at number eight due to batting order reshuffling also represents a poor decision that needs correction in the next game.
Is there a place for Kuldeep Yadav?
Kuldeep Yadav is a bowler who has consistently posed challenges for the Proteas, but in an Indian team where batting depth down to No. 8 is essential, the left-arm wrist-spinner often finds himself sidelined.
At Dharamsala, he may have to sit out again since both Kuldeep and Varun Chakravarthy, two bowlers, cannot be included in the same T20 playing eleven without compromising batting order depth.
While Arshdeep has struggled in the series so far, it will be intriguing to see if the team management can find a spot for Kuldeep in the lineup alongside Hardik Pandya sharing the new ball with Jasprit Bumrah.
The five-match series is currently tied 1-1.
Squad Teams:
India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, NT Tilak Verma, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar.
South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Lutho Sipamla, Ottniel Baartman, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, George Linde.
The match begins at 7 pm.
(With PTI inputs)
